Typewriting machine



'Feb 19 1924.

J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed May 18. 1920 3 Sheets- Sheet 2/m/m/or.'

Feb. 19 1924.

J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWITING .MACHINEy 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 18 1920Patentedlvreb. 19, 1924r JESSE-A. B. SMITH, OFSTAMFORD, CONNECTICUT,ASSIG-NOR T UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., .ACORPORATION y0F DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led May 18, 1920. Serial No. 382,229.

To all whom 'it may concern.'l

-Be it known that I, JESSE A. B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to typewriting machines, and is illustrated inconnection with an Underwood standard typewriting machine. In attemptingto use typewriting .machines for making o ut small bills, it is foundthat the manual, operations of inserting and line-spacing the bill-headusuallyinvolve so many motions that it is more economica-l to make outsuch bills with pen and ink. Devices have been made for typin suchbills, but theyV have been either limite to'bills in which all thetyping was to be done on a single line, or on a very few lines, or werelimited to bills of a single size, with the result that the machine usedfor one size of bills could not well be used for another' An'object ofthe invention is to produce an improved device for use in typing theseshort bills and also useful when a large number of sheets, such asledger-sheets, are to be reinscrted in the machine periodicallyy (foreX- ample, daily, monthly or quarterly) for thel typing of new itemsthereon, thus adapting themachine, by means of a single device, for alarge variety of work which commonly, heretofore, has required separatedevices, and a further object, inthis connection, is a widening of therange or capacities of the machine as to the classes of work handled,

- together with vincreased convenience and effectiveness. I e

According to the present invention, the typewriting machine may includedevices for holding-a work-sheet, upon which one, two, or three linesare to be typed in its bottom margin, and may Vbe adapted to linespacethe bill-o1' work-sheet independently of the line-spacing of the platen,and these holding devices may be so constructed that bills of any one ofa number of sizes maybe insertable therein with substantially equalfacility, and may be automatically gaged at their insertion. The machinemay'also in- (lude the usual line-spacing devices which co-- operatewith the platen, thus providing means for line-spacing ya ledger-sheetlnde-4 pendently of the line-spacing of any of the various sizes ofbills that may be held by the first described devices.

The devices for line-spacing a bill may include a finger-piece which isadapted-to be pushed to the left when the typewriter carriage is to bereturned to the rig'ht by the usual platen-line-spacing device, thusmaking the line-spacing operation involveA a natural combination of\movements. Ther finger-piece may b'e connected to the billhold-inggage-plate or device bya cam or cams, to positively move it in eachdirection.

Also, according to the present invention, in cases in which, as abovenoted, a large number of sheets are to be re-inserted in the machineperiodically, for the insertion of new items for each period,-the sheetsmay be automatically gaged at new master line-space positionscorresponding to the different periods, and also may be independentlylines'paced at each of saidpositions sothat each item may comprise morethan one line.

To this end, a leading-edge gage or an aligning plate provided with aleadin -edge 'gage and lerected at the front of the platen above theprinting line maybe settable by mechanically-determined masterline-space stages or intervals to occupy a series of different masterline-space positions corresponding to the respective minor businessperiods which make up or are comprised in a major business period. Theminor business periods may be the` days of the month, the month'thenbeing the major business period; or the minor business periods may bemonths, and the major business periods may then be a year; or suchmajorV and minor business periods may be arranged 1n any particularinstance.

` According to the present invention as disclosed herein, an.- aligningplate provided with a leading-edge gage may be line-spaced upon a pairof mounts which are settableby master line-space stagesor intervals upona 1n the manner which may be most convenient pairof plate-supportinguprights bars at the delivery side of the platen.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of an Underwood typewritingmachine, showe ing the presentinvention applied thereto,

` holding plate and when the bill-head being typed. ,y

Figure 2 is a sectional is being removed after plan view of the same. pj

Figure 3 1s a front v1ew similar to Figure 1, but showing the work-sheetinserted, and before it has been typed.

Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the parts seen in Figure .1.

Figure 5 is a rear view of the work-sheetits line-spacing device, in theosition shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view ,similar to Figure 5, but showing a modification.

lin the usual Underwood standard typewriting machine, there may bepassed around the platen 10, journaled inthe ends 11 of a shift-frame, aledger-sheet 12, having in frontofl it a carbon-sheet 13. T heselie uponthe rear paper-table 14 and are held against the platen by rearfeed-rolls 15- and front feed-rolls 16, and are carried up pastjtheprinting line, shown diagrammatically by the type-head 17. The type-head17 is on the end of a type-bar 18 pivoted on the segment 19 andstrikingbetween the arms of a type-guide 20 on either side of which liesa wing-scale 21. The shift-frame 11 forms part of a carriage 22 whichtravels along upon the frame 23 in the usual manner. According to thepresent invention, the carriage may be brought to the right-hand limitof its travel as shown at Figure 1, so that a work-sheet or` bill-head24 may be vinserted from the side behind the adjacent wingscale 21 andlaid upon a gage-plate 25. rlhe bill 24 is adapted to be gaged againstthe turned-over upper edge 26 of and its turned-upfleft-hand edge 27.When the bill-head has been thus aged,`it is held upon the gage-plate yturned-over spring-fingers 28 which hold it in 'its gaged position andare adapted to move lit in the line-spacing operation when a line-spacelinger-piece 29 is actuated. For the purpose of line-spacing theledger-sheet 12, the usual Underwood line-space mechanism may be usedyincluding the line-space wheel 30, and the line-space pawl 31. Since,however, the bill-head 24 is not held. by the feed-rolls 15 or 16, butlies in front of them, having its lower end behind the wing-scale 21, asshown in Figure 4, the line-spacing of the ledger-sheet 1s without electupon the billhead 24.

Urdinarily, the irst line upon the billhead 24 is typed withoutactuating the linespace finger-plece 29. When, however, the carriage -`sreturned to write a second line upon the bill-head 24, the typistusually returns the carriage by the line-space handle, not shown,actuating the line-space wheel 30; and, in accordance wlth the presentinvention, mayfat the same time press the linthe gage plate,

Lenie ger-piece 29 tothe left, thus line-spacin the bill 24 at the sametime that the le gersheet 12 in line-spaced.' The line-space connectionsbetween the finger-piece 29 and the gage-plate 25 include a cam-plate32, of which the finger-piece 29 forms an extension, said plate 32 beingguided by studs in the form of shouldered screws 33, which are threadedinto lugs or mounts 34 and locked in`place by lock-nuts 35. rlhecam-plate 32 slides upon the screws 33 because it is provided withhorizontal slots 36 for this purpose. To enable the finger-piece 29 tocam up on the gage-plate 25, also provided with cam-slots 37, in whichrrun posts or pins 38, which project from the aligning plate orgage-plate 25, the relationship being such, in Figures 1 .to 5, thatpushing upon the the gage-plate 25 from its Figure 1 to its Figure 3position. Later drawing the finger-piece 29 outwardly positively returnsthe gage-plate 25 to its lirst position.

ln order to detain the linger-plece 29 in,

either of its positions, there is provided ay flat detent-spring 39having a projection adapted to seat itself in openings 40 or 41 of thecam-plate 32. To permit the gageplate 25 to be adjusted to suit variouslengths of bill-heads, or for repositioning ledgerupon cross-rods 46 and47 which extend across the shift-frame 11, being made'fast on uprightbrackets or plates 48,.'held by screws 49 to the ends of the shift-frame11.

To give rigidity to the structure, the rods 46 and 47 may be held fastin one of the plates 48 by riveting, and may be connected to the yotherplate 48 by nuts 50, which are threaded onto the extensions 51 of theirrespective rods, thus allowing the nuts to be screwed up tiglt after thebrackets 48 have been placed in position and their sc ews 49 securelytightened. v

It has been found most satisfactory usually to have the openings 43 atdouble linespace distances from each other, thus giving greater rigidityabling 24 to be used, and also thereby providing the usually desiredspacing between the successive items or a reinserted andA repositionedledger-sheet which may lie upon the alignthe cam-plate is to the L-bars42 and yet ena suiiiciently wide-variety of bill-heads ing plate 25 atthe back of` the bill 24, or I mesme convenience, the numeral associatedwith the holes 43 may be considered as indicating the positions to beassumed by the mounts 34 to position the gage-plate 25 for differentmonthly entries on ledger-sheets. The L- bars 42 may be adjustably heldby set-screws 53, threaded into collars 54, said collars embracingtherods 46 and 47, respectively.

In order to guide the gage-plate vertically, the screws or studs 33 mayhave their heads 55 lying above it and running in countersunk portions56, provided with transversely slotted openings 57. The openings 57 formstraight guides which engage the screws 33.

The pair of upright bars 42 having therein the holes 43 spaced atdouble-line distances apart for receiving the screws 44 of the mounts 34provide means whereby the aligning plate 25 and leading-edge gage 26 aresettable by mechanically-determined master line-space stages orintervals to oceupy line-space positions relatively to the printing lineon the platen corresponding to the respective hereinbefore-mentionedminor business periods to provide for the typing ot an entry of one ormore lines at each master line-space position for. each of the series ofseparately inserted work-sheets, and in the drawings thesescrew-receiving holes 43 are shown as provided with indices and asnumberedto represent the respective business days of a month.

ln using the device 'in this way the worksheet, whichmay be aledger-sheet,'may be inserted in the machine from the rear aroundbeneath the platen 10, and gaged at its leadin'g edge against theleading-edge gage 26 and held in place on the aligning plate 25 by meansof the sheet-holding clips 28 in any one of the proper line-spacepositions indicated by the numbered indices for the corresponding day ofa month. The

first line of an entry for this date may nowbe written. If another lineis required to complete the item or entry, finger-piece 29 may beactuated, as hereinbefore described, to linespace the aligning plate 25and the work; s eet held thereon to an intermediate posi'- tion betweenthe above-described master linespaced positions. However, it will ofcourse be necessary for line-spacing the aligning plate 25 first eitherto line-space the platen 10 or to cast oil' platen feed-rolls 15 and 16.After corresponding entries have thus been 'made upon all of the seriesof Sheets for one line of an item to an` intermediate position.

between the" master line-space or double line-space positions. In usingthe device above mentioned in this way the usual outer bill-sheet orinvoice will be inserted around the platen, in order to provide forconveniently adjusting it relatively to the ledgersheet held upon theplaten, and held on the aligning plate 25 so ras to be line-spacedthereby.

The device shown in Figures 1 to 5 usually provides only for a singleline-spacing operation, or two line-space positions of the aligningplate 25 and leading-edge` gage 26, thus providing for the writing ofonly two lines upon a bill-head 24,- or other worl'r sheet. lt is foundthat, in the usual Underwood standard typewriting machine,

'the three lines to be typed, the modified form of device shown inFigure 6 may be utilized, in which the pins 38 run in the specialcam-slots 58, provided' with a central dwell 59, at which thefinger-piece 29 .l

6 has a spring-detent 39 like the device' shown in Figure 5, but isprovided with three depressions 61 instead of the two de- -pressionsshown in Figure 5, owing to the difference in the number of lines to betyped. The datent-spring 39v in each case ma be held by screws 62threaded into one o the lugs 34. Since the bill-heads are somewhat sti,'the lingers 28 may be easily dexed and the bill-heads easily slippedunder .their turned-up ends.

Variatlons may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. ln a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage having acarriagereturn finger-piece thereon and a platen mounted therein, of agage-plate upon the carriage, a clip upon the plate to hold a work-sheetthereon, and a fingersplece to line-space the plate and sheet thereon,the line-spacing finger-piece being located adjacent the carriage-returnfinger-piece, so that they may be grasped at the same time and theline-spacing finger-piece pressed towards the carriage-returnfinger-piece t o line-Space the gage-plate as the carriage 1s beingreturned to the right by the carriage-return finger-piece.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and aplaten journaled therein, of a pair of. uprights in said frame, agageplate, an adlustable support for said plate oni sald uprights, meansfor holding a Work-sheet on the gage-plate,

' and a line-spacing device for moving said sheet held on the plate withreference to said support to linespace the Work-,sheet held thereupon.

3. ln a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and aplaten j ournaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, anadjustable support for said plate onsaid uprights, a cam-plate slidableon said support, and a finger-piece adapted to shift the cam-plate toline-space 4a workgage-plate. l

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a, carriage and aplaten therein, of a gage-plate adjustable to ydiii'erent heights uponthe carriage, a clip upon said plate, a line-spacing finger-piece, apin-andcam connection between the finger-piece and the lgage-plate, anda dwell in the cam at each line-space position of the linger-piece tohold the plate in position.

5. ln a typewriting machine, the combination with aV platen-frame and aplaten journaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, anadjustable support for said plate on said uprights, a pair of pin-andcamconnections on the support to move the gage-plate, and a. finger-piecerfor operating said connections to line-space a work-sheet held on thegage-plate. p

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and aplaten journaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, anadjustable support for said plate on said uprights, a cam-plate slidableon said support, afinger-piece adapted to shift the cam-plate toline-space a Worksheet held on the gage-plate, and screws in saidsupport upon which the gage-plate slides and adapted to guide lthecam-plate.

7. In av typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and aplaten j ournaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, anadjustablev support for said plate onsaid uprights, means for holding aWork-sheet on the gage-plate, aline-spacing device for moving said plateto line-space the Work-sheet held thereupon, and a thumbscrew for .eachupright adapted to enter aligned openings to hold the support in position.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination witha platen-frame and aplaten journaled therein, of u'prights in said frame,y a gage-platehaving one side gage and a leading-edge gage, so that a work-sheet'y canbe inserted from the side, clips 'to support the i sheet adapted toreceive it when pushed side- Wise and upwardly, a support for saidgageplate adjustable on said uprights, and a finger-piece for moving theplate relatively to said support to line-space the Work-sheet heldthereon. i

9. In a front-strike typew'riting machine, the combination with asegment and a travelingcarriage,` of uprights on they carriage, a mountupon each upright, a thumb-screw for each -mount so that Athe screwsenter aligned openings in the uprights, a stud on each mount, agage-plate comprising opencain-'plate comprising openings sliding on thestuds, and a pair of cams on said cam-plate adapted to positively movethe gage-plate up and down to line-space a Work-sheet thereon behind theplaten.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combisliding, a

v ings to tit the studs and guide it when" nation with a platen-frameand a platen a j ournaled therein, of uprights in said frame,

a gage-plate, an adjustable support for saidy on said support, afinger-piece adapted to shift the cam-plate to line-space a i worksheetheld on the gage-plate, and a separate line-spacing device for theplaten.

12. ln a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a lleading-edge gageat thedelivery-side of the platen, a mount for said gage, adjusting means fordetaining said mount at a' plurality of positions at dierent distancesfrom the printing line, each position of the mount correspondlng to thedepth of the heading above the first Writing line of each of a pluralityof Work-sheets to be insertedin succession and gaged, by saidleadingedge gage, means for detaining against said gage a Work-sheetgaged thereby, and line-spacing means for advancing said leading-edgegage from its normal position on said mount to advance thel work-sheetdetained there-y against to another linespace position Without change intheposition of said mount.

. 13. In a front-striketypewriting machine, the combination vwith acylindrical platen, of a gaging-device-carrying mount, means forlocating and detaining said mount at any one ofa series ofmechanically-determined equally-spaced"positions to vary/the distance ofsaid mount from the printing hne, a gaging devlce o n sald mount, andmeans for locatlngand detalning sald gagingdevice on said mount at any.one of a series of mechanically-determined equallyspaced positions, sothat the position of the gaging device may be variedwithout change inthe position of said mount..

14. In a front-strike,typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten, lof a pair of gage-supporting upright bars at the delivery sideof the platen, a gage-carrying mount upon each of the bars and movablethereon relatively to the printing line, means to detain said mounts inadjusted position on said bars, a leading-edge gage on said mounts, andmeans to locate and detain said gage at any one of a series of differentmechanically-determined spaced positions to vary the position of saidgage relatively to the printing line.

15. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen andprovided with a leading-edge gage, a mount on which said plate isshiftable, a support on Which said mount is yshiftable, means forlocating and detaining said plate at mechanically-determined positionsat different distances from the printing line, and means forline-spacing said aligning plate.

16. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten, of an upright plate-support at the introductory side of theplaten, an aligning plate movable up and down along said support, meansfor detaining said aligning plate in adjusted positions corresponding todifferent successive business periods, means for holding a Worksheet onsaid plate, and aline-spacing device for moving said plate to line-spacethe Work-sheet irrespective of the position ofthe aligning plate asadjusted for one of said business periods.

17. In a front-strike typewritin machine, the combination with a platen,o an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen above theprinting line and provided with a leading-edge gage, means for adjustingsaid aligning plate and leading-edge gage relatively to the printingline to occupy dilierent positions corresponding respectively todifferent successive business periods, and means for setting said plateand gage to d'il ferent mechanicallydetermined line-space positionsirrespective of the business period positions thereof. l

18. In a front-strike typewritin machine, the combination with a platen,o an aligningplate erected at the front of the platen above the printingline, means for adjusting said plate relatively to the printing line tooccupy different positions. corresponding respectively to differentsuccessive business periods, means for detaining aiwork-sheet on saidplate, and a line-spacing device for moving said plate to line-space theworksheet held thereon irrespective of the adjustment of Asaid plate forany one of said-y business periods.

19. In a front-strike typewritingmmachine, the combination with aplaten, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen abovethe rinting line, a pair. of mounts upon Whic said plate is movable forline-spacing, a line-spacing device for moving said plate on said mountsto linespace a Work-sheet held` upon the plate, a pair of upright barsupon which said mounts are shiftable,'means for locating and detainingsaid mounts at mechanically-determined master line-space stages orintervals relatively to the printing line to occupy a vseries ofdifferent master line-space positions corresponding to the respectiveminor business periods comprised in a major business period, for therebycorrespondingly setting said plate independently of saidline-spacingmovement thereof, means tol detain the Work-sheet on said plate to movetherewith, and means for line-spacing saidplate relatively to saidmounts. f

:sol

20. In front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination with a platen, of an aligning plate erected at the frontof the platen above the printing line, a mount on which said plate ismovable to vary its distance from the printing line, aline-space devicefor moving said plate on said mount to linespace a Work-sheet helduponthe plate, means for holding the Work-sheet on said plate, andadjusting meansfor locating and detaining the plate-carryingmount .indifferent positions correspondlng respectively to ditl'erent successivebusiness periods.

21. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten, of a leadingedge gage at the front of the platen above ,therinting line, means forv locating and detalning said gage atmechanically-determined master line-space stages or intervals relativelyto the printin line to occupy a series of dii'erent masterIicorresponding respectively to di'erent successive business periods, aline-spacing device for line-spaclng said gage independently of saidlocating `and detainingmeans to line-space a work-sheet held againstsaid ne-space positions gage, and means for detaining the work- A of thework-sheet` by the line-spacing movement of said gage.

l 22. In a front-strike typewritin machine, 4

the combination with ha platen, o an aligning plate erected at the frontof the laten above the printing line and provide with a leading-edgegage, a mount upon which sa1d alignin plate is movable for linespaclng,a ne-spacing device `for movmg sa1d plate on said mount to linesp'ace awork-sheet-lleld on said plate and against said ga e, a support uponwhich said mount is s iftable, means for locatingv and detaining saidmount` on said support at mechanically-determined master line-spacestages or intervals relatively tov the `printing lineV to occupy. aseries of different master-line-space 'posltlons vcorresponding tosuccesslve buslness periods,A

and means for detaining the -Work-sheeton said plate and against saidgage irrespective of the positions of the latter to effect linespacingof the Work-sheet by the line-space movement of said plate.

23. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen abovethe printing line, a pair of mounts upon Which said plate is movable forlinespacing, a line-spacing device for moving said plates on said mountsto line-space a Work-sheet held upon the plate, a pair ofupright barsupon which said mounts are shiftable, means for locating and detainingsaid mounts at mechanically-determined master line-space ystages orintervals relatively to the printing line to -occupy a series ofdiii'erent master line-space positions corresponding to the respectiveminor business periods comprised inra major business period for therebycorrespondingly setting said Aplate independently ,of said line-spacingmovement thereof, and means for holding the Work-sheet on said plate toeffect linespacing of the Work-sheet when said plate is line-spaced. y

24:. lin a typewriting machine, a cyliniaeaeia return linger-piece onthe carriage, a gageplate at the delivery side of the platen, andgage-plate-line-spacing means including a `drical platen, a carriagetherefor, a carriagefinger-piece operable to the left and so lo- 4 catedon thecarriage that it and the carriagef return finger-piece may( beengaged at the same time by one hand ot' the operator and operatedconcomitantly.

25. In a typewriting machine, a cylindrical platen, a gage-plate at thedelivery.

26. lin a typewriting machine, a platen,-

lWork-sheet-gripping means, a finger-piece,

and a inger-piece-actuated pin-and-cam-slot connection to act on saidgripping means to line-space a Work-sheet gripped thereby.

JESSE A.. B. SMITH.

Witnesses: e .v

CATHERINE A. NEWELL, EDITH B. Linear.

